Gateway Park SC-

Trail Dynamics has begun bike park construction at Gateway Park, we had a good first week. The week capped with a volunteer day from a local church who brought out 70 folks in a cold and drippy day. They worked hard for 3 hrs and set a high bar for the local mountain bike community to follow.

Construction will continue for the next 2 weeks with plenty of volunteer opportunities. If you have an hour or 3 to donate during the week, come on out and we will find something for you to do. UpState SORBA is organizing formal group volunteer days over the next 2 Sat, please check that website or Facebook page for details.

The concept plan is too large a file to post here, but I will try and get UpState SORBA to upload it to thier website.
The plan calls for 3 main components:

1. A surfaced all weather perimeter trail with optional lines and TTFs
2. PMR- Pump, Berms and Rollers trail- short but sweet and session ready
3. Tykes on trikes and bikes trail close to the current playground, helping to develop the next generation of riders

To the best of my knowledge, this will be the largest (and maybe first) bike park in SC on public land. It is a good trend to see, and your volunteer help will support the building of not only this park but others to come.

Bumping this back to the top. This is a great opportunity for SORBA and the community. This park is 5 years in the making. It goes to show if you put your computer, non-profit, shovel and some hard work where your mouth is you can get things accomplished.

Come out this Saturday or Next and get your bike karma on a roll for 2013.

Some more photos

An update is overdue. We had 40+ for lest weeks volunteer build day, a great turn out for sure. We are hosting another volunteer day tomorrow, join us if you can. Current expected head count is over 50.

Lots happening since I last posted, and I think I will just let the photos do the talking.

Re: Gateway Park SC-

Originally Posted by extrmtao

People,

This is a great opportunity for SORBA and the community. This park is 5 years in the making. It goes to show if you put your computer, non-profit, shovel and some hard work where your mouth is you can get things accomplished.

Amen.

Its great to see this come to fruition. All that planning and then it's built in a few weeks. Looks like everybody wins....

Trails don't build themselves, and tools don't work without hands and people to use them.

Volunteers placing hands around tools is what gets trails and bike parks built, and yesterday we had over 65 of them show up to help put the finishing touches on Gateway Park new bike park and skills trail. It was an awesome day, thanks to all who
came out ,got dirty, and worked hard for 4 hrs helping to wrap things up. More photos to come.

Weather looked perfect going in, warmest morning we have had since we started this build 3 weeks ago. The parking lot was full from runners doing a half marathon that started in Gateway Park and ran the Swamp Rabbit rails/trail into town. Trail volunteers are flexible and parked where they could and showed up in droves, over 65 is the report I gto from Colin who works with Greenville County Recreation District. Matt G. showed up with 25+ from the middle school where he teaches, and these kids worked hard and were super excited about the new bike park. The volunteer group was a mix: some from the middle school, some from the park heroes program and UpState SORBA folks. Vision graphics and Starbucks brought out hot coffee to kick out the day. Partnerships are the way to get these bike parks built. Trail Dynamics had 6 of our staff on hand to manage and get the most out of so many eager volunteers.

6 trained professional builder and 65 volunteers is a recipe for getting a lot of good work done.

Volunteers working everywhere you looked. Some packing dirt jumps and bermed turns, some doing rock work, many others doing pretty work and clean up. All were working hard and making a difference. We like to call this sweat equity.

One of the more popular trails in the new park will be known as TR-PR, Travelers Rest Pump and Rhythm, a gravity feed dirt sculpture of table tops and perfected shaped berm turns. Lots of love went into the MasterPiece with TD's MotoMike working to get the final product just right.

After the great 4 hr workday, we did a temporary opening of the bike park to reward the many folks who came out. Lots of smiles and folks having fun riding the new bike park. We kept all trails and features opened till late afternoon and then shut it back down with signs and caution tape. We can not officially open the park to the public until we finish the build out and there is a signage program in place. My guess for a soft opening is in a few weeks with a more formal grand opening in early April.

TD crew has one more day finishing a section of the big roller trail, the soil has been too wet until now to shape. UpState SORBA has one more volunteer day next Sat. wrapping up the final touches.

On Sunday the park officially opened. Tons of all kinds of riders hitting all the trails and features. The "Kick Start" trail (kids trail) had many kids on kicker bikes and other small wheeled bikes learning to ride. The "Wave" is a PBR (pump, berms and rhythm) trail and the waiting line to jump on this was 4-8 riders deep most of the day. All trails were ridden and the reviews for all was great. Most folks noted that the new bike park exceeded their expectations.

Gateway Park represents an encouraging trend, bike parks and trails in city parks and close to where people are.

This was a great project with many partners and a lot of fun to build.